Italy's president will not seek another term
The Italian president today said he would not seek a second term when his seven year-mandate ends in mid-May, possibly causing delay in the formation of a government after parliamentary elections.
The president’s remarks in a national newspaper came as Italy was still awaiting confirmation of centre-left leader Romano Prodi’s electoral victory over Premier Silvio Berlusconi, more that a week after polls closed.
“Fortunately age is on my side and in a certain way it averts the possibility of a confirmation as president,” the 85-year-old Ciampi told Corriere della Sera.
“Besides, I am convinced that the seven years is already very much. Doubling that would mean perhaps a sort of republican monarchy.”
Under the constitution, the president must give the mandate to form a government, but by coincidence Ciampi’s term ends on May 18.
Ciampi has indicated he would leave the task to his successor, and bitter divisions in the Italian politics might make it hard to reach an agreement on a new name.
Ciampi is a highly respected figure, and politicians from both sides had indicated they would support him.
The president is elected by members of both houses of parliament and regional representatives – overall more than 1,000 electors. In the first three rounds of voting, a two-thirds majority is needed for victory, while 50 per cent plus one vote is enough in subsequent rounds.
The new president must be elected by May 13, meaning that a Prodi government might not take office before the second half of next month.
Ciampi said, however, that he would not retire, but keep up his political commitment as life senator. Ex-presidents are made senators for life, one of Italy’s highest honours.
Meanwhile, the count of contested ballots was continuing today, officials said.
The count is widely expected to confirm Prodi’s razor-thin victory in the April 9-10 election after the Interior Ministry last week reduced the number of such ballots from 80,000 to 5,200. The new figures are not enough for the premier’s conservatives to reverse the electoral result.
Prodi has claimed victory, but Berlusconi has refused to concede for as long as the count was under way.
Once the checks are completed, a top Italian court, the Court of Cassation, must certify the election result before the first meeting of the newly elected parliament, scheduled for April 28.
